The present disclosure relates generally to the field of batteries. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for battery testing.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Batteries, including batteries having one or more individual electrochemical cells, are currently used in a wide variety of applications, including energy storage in homes, electronics, and a wide variety of vehicles. Indeed, batteries are ubiquitous in the vehicle industry, and are used in vehicles for a variety of reasons, including capturing and storing energy for powering various vehicle processes. For example, batteries may be used for starting an internal combustion engine, for powering an air conditioning unit and various electronics in the vehicle, and so forth.
The most common types of batteries used in vehicles include lead-acid batteries and lithium-ion batteries. Historically, lead-acid batteries are the most common type used in vehicles, and are subject to a number of different standards including standards for size, shape, and power ratings (e.g., charge and discharge capacity, voltage). These standards are in place, for example, to increase consumer confidence and to ensure compliance with various regulatory requirements. As one example, lead-acid batteries, which may be used for starting, lighting, and ignition (SLI) automotive applications, may be subject to various standards relating to their ability to support such applications for a certain period of time. Accordingly, various standardized tests (tests performed under standardized conditions and having standardized results) have been established to rate batteries for particular applications.
As may be appreciated, it is desirable for batteries produced for a particular application or set of applications to pass standardized tests associated with such applications. Thus, manufacturers may perform periodic testing on samples obtained from different manufacturing lines to ensure quality. In addition, manufacturers may subject prototype battery samples to various standardized tests to identify whether new designs are appropriate for their intended use.
Standardized tests, particularly those in the automotive industry, can last for weeks, even months, until a final result is obtained for a particular battery. This is due, at least in part, to the desirability for automotive batteries to remain useful for a certain amount of time (e.g., to have a long lifetime). The standardized tests associated with these determinations may therefore require extended periods of time to provide an accurate measure of the suitability for a particular battery to last a predetermined amount of time. Some tests may measure, for example, whether a battery retains its ability to be charged and discharged by a predetermined amount after a specified period of time under high stress. Such tests may result in a “pass” or “fail” of the test.
Unfortunately, the length of time required for results to be obtained leads to a lack of advance warning that certain manufacturing designs or processes may need attention. It is now recognized that it may therefore be desirable to reduce the amount of time associated with battery testing. It is also now recognized that it may be desirable to predict test outcomes to provide rapid feedback for battery design and manufacturing.